24 replies to this topic

[9_6]

This is for everyone using the popular ZXC-keys in their games.
Please execute this code 1 time at the start of your game:

keyboard_set_map(ord("Y"),ord("Z"));
keyboard_set_map(ord("W"),ord("Z"));

You do not need to worry or care about anything else from there.

What it does is letting your game pretend the "Y" key is also the "Z" key.
That's good for people with QWERTZ-keyboards because the bottom left key is in fact the "Y"-key on those keyboards which makes the controls awkward unless you change your keyboard layout.
The same goes for "W" and AZERTY-keyboards.

It's a simple fix that can easily be put into games after they're done and I wish more people would do it.
Spread the word.

If you know any other exotic (aka non-qwerty) keyboard layout that messes the popular zxc-keys up, please let me know and I'll expand the script.

Edited by 9_6, 11 November 2010 - 12:49 PM.

[ADHDguitar]

Sounds very useful. Tbh, I wasn't even aware that such keyboards existed, but I'll definitely save this code somewhere.

[MasterMind007]

This is very useful! I have a QWERTZ keyboard. If I make a game using ZXC buttons I will definitely put that in it.

[kburkhart84]

Not to say the script isn't useful, but my opinion in general is that it is better to let the user customize the controls. Any game I make, included a tetris clone I'm doing currently, has this feature. Ever since Earthsiege2, I have hated not being able to customize my controls.

[9_6]

Not to say the script isn't useful, but my opinion in general is that it is better to let the user customize the controls. Any game I make, included a tetris clone I'm doing currently, has this feature. Ever since Earthsiege2, I have hated not being able to customize my controls.

True but not everyone seems to want to to (or can't) come up with a customizable controls system and this is better than nothing.

Edited by 9_6, 11 November 2010 - 06:01 PM.

[kburkhart84]

Not to say the script isn't useful, but my opinion in general is that it is better to let the user customize the controls. Any game I make, included a tetris clone I'm doing currently, has this feature. Ever since Earthsiege2, I have hated not being able to customize my controls.

True but not everyone seems to want to to (or can't) come up with a customizable controls system and this is better than nothing.

I have, in fact, I made it into a simple to use extension. If you search for kbinput, you can find it. It makes it really easy.

[JAk HAk]

As far as I know, greater than ninety-nine percent of keyboards in use have XCV in a consecutive line. If, for whatever reason, you don't feel like mapping Y and W, you can consider using those instead.

[9_6]

As far as I know, greater than ninety-nine percent of keyboards in use have XCV in a consecutive line. If, for whatever reason, you don't feel like mapping Y and W, you can consider using those instead.

Yes, they could.
They could also use asd but z and x are popular now for some reason.

[thatshelby]

What about W? If I need W movement, then it'd be a little weird for you non-qwerty's. I'm semi-beingdifficult but would just like to know a work around. Personally, after remembering this, I am going to implement a custom control system. I think there is also an AZERTY keyboard.


EDIT: http://en.wikipedia....Keyboard_layout There's also a potentially helpful article for you on keyboard layouts.

Edited by Theophilus, 13 November 2010 - 09:25 PM.

[makerofthegames]

Meh. I always prefer using arrow controls than WASD anyway, and those are consistant with pretty much all keyboards.

[9_6]

What about W? If I need W movement, then it'd be a little weird for you non-qwerty's. I'm semi-beingdifficult but would just like to know a work around. Personally, after remembering this, I am going to implement a custom control system. I think there is also an AZERTY keyboard.

That's cool but it has nothing to do with the z, x or c keys.

EDIT: http://en.wikipedia....Keyboard_layout There's also a potentially helpful article for you on keyboard layouts.

Alright thanks.
Seems like qwerty, qwertz and azerty are the big ones and then there's completely out of whack stuff that I have no idea how to fix.
Or if it even needs to be fixed.

Meh. I always prefer using arrow controls than WASD anyway, and those are consistant with pretty much all keyboards.

Please read the first sentence of the first post again.

Edited by 9_6, 14 November 2010 - 12:55 PM.

[thatshelby]

What about W? If I need W movement, then it'd be a little weird for you non-qwerty's. I'm semi-beingdifficult but would just like to know a work around. Personally, after remembering this, I am going to implement a custom control system. I think there is also an AZERTY keyboard.

That's cool but it has nothing to do with the z, x or c keys.

On AZERTY keyboards, Z is where W is on QWERTY.

[9_6]

Yes I know and yes, if you're playing some shooter with wasd controls on an azerty keyboard, you're probably screwed because wasd is zqsd on there.
So you'd need to map the z- to the w key and the q- to the a key to make it work.
Which means you can't use the q or the z key for anything else. Which probably means trouble since those are close to wasd and thus often used in games.
It also conflicts with the zxc- mapping even though you'll probably never use wasd and zxc together anyway.

But that's not what this topic is about. One problem at a time.
I also can't really confirm if this is a problem at all. All I know from first hand experience is that z-issue.
Someone from france or belgium with an azerty keyboard should spill the beans on that matter.

Edited by 9_6, 14 November 2010 - 03:41 PM.

[kburkhart84]

I still say you are better off in the long run to have configurable controls. Not only do you get around the different keyboard style issue, but if you do it right you make it easier for people to use joysticks, and configure them. And, assuming you make it external of the game code(as in an extension or scripts), you can easily reuse it in other games. You only need to code it once. In fact, I'm surprised I didn't see many extensions for this considering it is useful to have and easy to do. Time-consuming somewhat, but relatively easy, and worth in the end.

EDIT** You know how you are mapping one letter to another to make it work with other keyboards. You end up removing those keys, which you already mention. Configurable controls gets around that too.

Edited by kburkhart84, 15 November 2010 - 02:13 AM.

[slayer 64]

no. anything that isn't QWERTY is awkward

[varuks]

Yeah, I never thought that other leopards could have such game breaking problems.

[Glen]

Very useful. I never knew about the keyboard_map codes.

[KygonsCube]

There are various foreign/'exotic' keyboards that have different setups, it's best just to have it customizable.

[CGPM]

If you're still accepting keyboard layouts, try this.

[Andy]

This is very useful, thank you.